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by Miss Peg
Summary: Sequel to 'Bartender'. Almost a year after Jane and Maura's relationship began, Maura's present is rocked by the return of someone from her past, leaving her doubtful over her future.
1. Chapter 1

**Author Note : Here we are again...another blank page to write on, another new story. I'm still writing Strangers, but I've been so stuck in that world that my brain was getting frustrated. I needed a break. This is what happened. I wasn't sure when I was going to start the sequel to Bartender. Apparently now. It's here, I hope you like it.**

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A little boy ran through the house, screeching as he chased Lottie into the yard and across the bounce house. Two girls with identical braids and the same coloured dress sprinted after them. Maura stepped forward, her mouth open ready to protest, but Jane clutched her arm.

"It's time for cake," Jane said. "They're having fun."

"I just don't want anybody to get hurt." Maura pursed her lips and glanced through the kitchen window. "When I was eight William Howland broke his wrist at Samantha Greenacre's birthday party. If an adult had stopped him from playing silly games, he wouldn't have spent the rest of his school career with an injury that prevented him from fitting in."

Jane rolled her eyes. She pushed the fifth candle into the cake. "You're projecting. Lottie and her friends are fine. I hope you won't be like this next time."

"I'm sorry." Maura sighed. "I have a tendency to worry."

"I know, but you don't need to." Jane gave Maura's shoulder a gentle squeeze and struck a match. One by one, she lit each candle. She picked the cake up. Glancing back into the house, she shouted. "Raffie, cake time!"

A moment later, he sprinted into the room with his camera around his neck. "Ready!"

"Let's go and wish Lottie a happy birthday," Jane said, staring hard at Maura until her expression softened.

Together, they walked out across the yard. As their singing grew louder, more and more people joined in, until the small crowd reached the final line. " _Happy birthday to you!_ "

"Blow candles," Martinez said, clicking his camera repeatedly.

Complying with instructions, Lottie opened her mouth wide and blew hard, scrunching up her eyes as tightly as she could. Maura leaned down beside her as the last of the candles went out. "What did you wish for?"

"If I tell you it won't come true, silly."

Maura let out a chuckle. "Considering the probability of it coming true…"

"Not now, Maura," Jane said, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh. Of course." Maura shook her head and stood up.

The crowd dispersed once more. The little boy from earlier pulled on the braids of the twins and they chased him onto the bounce house. Lottie jumped from her chair and onto the grass, heading off as full speed.

"Should we do it now?" Jane asked, nodding at Martinez. "He's alone."

"We could," Maura said.

"Hey, Raffie," Jane shouted.

He turned and clicked the button on his camera. He held it in front of him. "Lovely."

"You got a second; we've got something we wanna run by you."

From across the yard, the little boy started crying, a second later, one of the twins screamed out. They lay on the floor of the bounce house. Angela crawled across the inflatable surface. Maura sighed. "Or I'll go and attend to another injury."

"Maura, we have two bumps to the head!" Angela shouted over the noise.

"I'm coming," she said, shaking her head. She smiled at Martinez. "We'll talk later."

"What is going on?"

"Nothing. It's fine." Jane picked up the cake and set off back towards the house.

"I told you a bounce house was a bad idea," Maura said, trailing her hand across her Jane's arm as she passed by. She picked up her medical bag and ran across the yard.

x

Jane pulled the blanket back from the bed and tossed the spare pillows on the floor. She climbed onto the bed and rested her head against the pillow, stifling a yawn. She closed her eyes and opened them again.

"I'm so glad we don't have sixteen kids," Jane said, sliding under the covers and tugging them up around her stomach. She stretched her arms out above her head. "That Robbie kid needs to learn not to bang heads with people."

Maura climbed in beside her and switched off the bedside lamp. "At least Lottie enjoyed her birthday."

"It's all I wanted." Jane shuffled across the bed, filling the space between them. "I wish Rafael didn't leave before we could talk."

"There's always tomorrow." Maura tucked her arm around Jane's back and held her close. Jane leant in, brushing her lips across Maura's in the moonlight. "It was good of your brother to come to the party, if only briefly."

"He shouldn't," Jane said. "He's supposed to be at the academy. It's a good job he's my little brother. O'Hare loves me over there."

"How do you feel about tomorrow?"

Jane pressed her lips together and shrugged. "Nervous. Excited."

"You're going to be amazing," Maura said, giving her a squeeze. "Homicide is lucky to have you."

Lifting her leg up between Maura's thighs, Jane captured her lips, tugging her close. She rolled forward, pushing Maura onto her back, trailing her mouth across her skin.

"Don't you want to be well rested before tomorrow?"

"I want what you said I could have last night," Jane whispered, breathing heavily against Maura's cheek. She slid her fingers along Maura's hips, her fingernails dug into the flesh of her thigh and back up, under her nightshirt. "I wish you'd just move in so we can be together."

"We're together almost every night." Maura's lips parted and a soft moan escaped. She closed her eyes, lifting her body up against Jane. "You'll know what it's like once you join homicide and get called out at four in the morning."

"It's the only thing I'm dreading." She moved forward, cupping Maura's breasts, pressing her body against Maura's. She tugged at the fabric of her nightshirt, pushing it up and over her hips, sliding her fingers across her stomach. She pushed the bedsheets back and followed her hands back down to her legs. One kiss after the other, she trailed her lips across bare flesh. "Can't wait to work with you more."

Maura slid her fingers through Jane's hair and held her close, lifting her body off the bed in rhythm with Jane's mouth. She gasped, her breathing laboured. She tugged on Jane's arms and pulled her back up to her lips. "As good as that feels, you need to sleep."

"I need to watch you," Jane whispered, smirking. She trailed her tongue across her neck and across her nightshirt. Jane bit down softly on the fabric. "I need to feel you."

"Okay." Maura captured her mouth again, sliding her tongue between her lips. She rolled her over onto her back. "But I think we should start with you, then if you get tired, you'll be satisfied."

Jane's breath hitched in her throat. "What about you?"

"I can deal with me later," Maura said, slipping her fingers into Jane's shorts. She leant her head back and lifted her body up to meet Maura. "Tonight we're celebrating you becoming the youngest female detective to join homicide."

x

Maura woke with a start. Her cellphone buzzed on the bedside table, singing out loudly. She reached across and lifted it to her ear. It took a moment to wake up enough to understand the words on the other end of the phone.

"Excuse me?" Maura sat up and rubbed at her eyes. It was still dark. "No. It's fine. I'll be there."

She hung up the call and glanced at the time. One sixteen. The light from her cellphone made her squint. She ran her hands across her face in an attempt to wake herself up. Bleary eyed, she tugged up her nightshirt, to cover her breasts.

"Work?" Jane mumbled, still half asleep.

Maura pressed her lips together. She leant over Jane, words tumbled through her mind but none she felt capable of saying in that moment. The shape of Jane's body became clearer as her eyes adjusted to the darkness. She could see the shape of Jane's breasts, her nipples exposed to the night. She leant down and tugged the bedsheets up around her shoulders.

"Yes. Go back to sleep." She pressed her lips to Jane's.

As she pulled away, Jane lifted her head and wrapped her arms around her shoulders, pulling her mouth back to Maura's. "Again?"

"Not now," Maura whispered, pushing her back down against the bed.

She slipped out from under the covers. In the darkness, she took an outfit from her wardrobe and carried it into the bathroom where she freshened up and got dressed. Back in the bedroom, Jane's breathing had settled back down and she slept softly. Quietly, Maura opened the bedroom door and snuck out into the night.

x

"I'm sorry to call you so late," Martinez said. She followed him down the corridor of Boston Police Department. Despite his additional height, she fell into step beside him as they ambled through the third floor. "She asked for you specifically."

"What happened?"

He opened a door and motioned for Maura to step through it. "Homicide was called to a suspicious death. A man in his late twenties. Detective Crowe went out, turns out there was a massive drug haul in the back of his truck. That's when they called me. They arrested a woman trying to drive off in the vehicle, suspected of being under the influence."

Maura closed her eyes and sighed. Her mind ached. "She asked for me specifically?"

"Yes." He stopped by another door, his hand rested on the handle. "You ready?"

She breathed slowly and nodded her head. The door swung open. On the other side, the woman sat up straight, her hands clasped on the table in front of her. Her copper hair hung loose around her face, dishevelled on one side. She had a bruise forming across her right cheek. Maura stepped into the room, her eyes fixed on the woman's as her eyes travelled with her across to the table.

"Hello Maura, it's good to see you again," she said, reaching out her hand. Maura sat down and allowed her to take her fingers into her hands. "Thank you for coming."

"Why did you ask for me?" she asked, leaning forward. "How did you know I'd come?"

"I didn't." She sighed. Her shoulders hunched forward. Maura could see sadness in her eyes. "I'm glad you did."

Maura fixed her gaze, forcing the woman to keep her eyes on her. Maura shook her head and looked away. "I thought you got clean."

" _I am_. I promise you."

"You know as well as anyone that you are high right now. Don't lie to me. I'm a doctor. You know I won't buy your excuses. Why me? Why did you call me?"

"I wanted to see you. I heard you were working here now."

Pressing her lips together, Maura lowered her head and sighed. The weight of the world settled uncomfortably on her shoulders. A lump formed in the back of her throat. She swallowed. "I've not seen you in a decade, Hope. Why should I stick around when you chose not to?"

"I was a mess then," she said, gripping Maura's hands. Her eyes darted back and forth. Her tone fraught. "I need your help. There's been a huge misunderstanding. They think I killed him. They think I've been selling heroin and cocaine. I didn't kill him. I don't sell drugs. You've got to believe me."

Maura untangled her hands and leant back in her chair, distancing herself slightly. "I'm not sure that I do. Hope, you've shown me no reason why I should."

"I'm Hope again," she whispered, her voice cold and laced with frustration.

Maura gritted her teeth and glared at her. " _No._ You do not get to act hurt about that. You may have given birth to me but that doesn't make you my mother. Not when you gave me up for adoption, and not when you walked out on me again ten years ago."

"Please, Maura." Her eyes were bloodshot, her eyelids drooped. She gripped the edge of Maura's jacket, holding her close. "I need your help."

She stood up, untangling her jacket from Hope's hands. "There's nothing I can do."

"Yes there is." Hope stood opposite. She banged her palms down on the table in front of her. "I need a lawyer. Get me a lawyer!"

"Okay." Maura clasped her hands together in front of her. She stood up tall. She closed her eyes momentarily, then fixed her gaze on her mother. "Okay. I'll get you a lawyer. But that's all I'm going to do for you."

"Thank you!" Hope said, springing forward, her lips curved into a wide smile. "Thank you for believing me."

Maura stepped back, distancing herself further. "I don't know if I believe you. What I believe in is a fair system. You deserve to be heard in a court of law, and be represented fairly. Now if you don't mind, I'm going to go back home to my family."

"You have a family?"

The door closed behind her. She could hear Hope shouting after her, her voice more and more fraught as Maura headed down the corridor. She stood up tall, her shoulders back.

"Hey, Maura, I'll walk you out." Martinez chased after her. She stopped and waited for him to catch up before falling into step beside him. "So, that's your mother?"

"One of them."

"You have two?"

"I was adopted."

"You and Jane were going to ask me something earlier."

"Oh." She shook her head and forged a smile. "It's not important."

"Are you sure?"

"My birth mother is in the police department facing a murder charge. I think it can wait." She stopped by the elevator and turned to face Martinez. "Please can you not mention this to Jane?"

"Is that wise?"

"I'm going to tell her, just not until she's completed her first day."


	2. Chapter 2

**Author Note : Thanks to those who reviewed the last chapter, maybe not so many readers as usual, but perhaps it's because it was Saturday night. Perhaps you were all partying for the royals. Haha. I hope you've all had a nice weekend.**

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After ten years as a cop, Jane had finally made it. She stepped out of the elevator on the third floor and marched confidently through to the homicide unit. The room was empty. She glanced at her watch; she was twenty minutes ahead of time. The previous shift was nowhere to be seen, and Detective Korsak was yet to arrive.

She perched on a chair at the tidiest desk and moved it round absentmindedly. Her stomach twisted up in knots. After all of her hard work and effort, she could scarcely believe she was there. Her dream had come true.

"Get off my chair."

She stood quickly, knocking the chair sideways. It fell against the desk, rocking it so hard that a mug fell from the side and sent coffee flying across the floor.

"Best get into the kitchen and clean that up," he smirked.

Jane folded his arms and stood up tall. "Detective Crowe. Did you leave your balls in your coffee?"

"Nah, was waiting for you to make me one."

She gritted her teeth and sighed. "Don't you have a home to get to?"

"Eventually." He stood square on and raised his eyebrows. "Was hoping to watch you tank it on your first day before I do."

Jane rolled her eyes and stepped back. "Never gonna happen."

"Detective Rizzoli."

She spun round. Detective Korsak stood in the doorway, his jacket folded over one arm and a takeout coffee in his other hand. He marched past Crowe's desk, narrowing his eyes. Jane picked up the chair, returned the coffee mug to the desk, and smiled.

"Good morning, Detective Korsak. Crowe was just making me feel very welcome before he got a towel and cleaned up after himself."

Crowe growled. Jane had already marched past him and stood to attention beside Korsak's desk. She smirked as Crowe grumbled his discontent and left the room.

"I'm impressed."

"Yeah?"

"Crowe's a tough nut to crack," he said, slinging the jacket around the back of the chair and sitting down. He motioned to Crowe's chair. "Grab a seat, sit down."

"Thank you, Sir," she said, tugging the chair over and sitting beside Korsak.

Korsak sat back, his eyes fixed on Jane's. He had harshness in his eyes, within seconds, his expression softened. "A lot of people don't expect you to make it here, Rizzoli."

"I know." She'd heard grumblings for weeks. She was too fresh around the ears. She was too young. She didn't have what it took to work the big cases. She was too female. She was too much of a mother. She folded her arms and sat back, nonchalantly. "With all due respect, but I'm not here to play games, or meet people's expectations. I'm here to work. I'm here to solve crimes and get the bad guys off the street. I don't care what people like Crowe are saying about me. I may be young but I have what it takes, and they're not gonna know what hit them."

He cracked a smile, his whole face lit up with glee. Jane narrowed her eyes, and waited for him to speak. He leaned forward and patted her knee. "Just what I was hoping, Rizzoli. I knew you were gonna be a firecracker the moment I met you."

"Thank you, Sir."

Waving his hand in front of his face, he shrugged. "Enough of the sir. It's Korsak. I may have been in this job a couple decades longer, but we're equals. Got that?"

"Yes, Sir…Korsak."

x

"Doctor Isles," Maura said, holding up her badge and walking under the police tape. Her heels clacked across the concrete flags and up the steps onto the veranda. A honeysuckle grew along the railing; the sweet scented flowers filled the air. Maura sighed. "What a beautiful location for one's final breath."

"Just a shame it was probably a painful one," Korsak said, motioning along the wooden platform. She followed close behind as they turned a corner and walked down the side of the house.

"Jane!" Maura's lips curved so much that her smile instantly reached the corners of her eyes. A couple of uniformed officers glanced at her from the other side of the rail, and she reigned herself back in. "I mean, good morning Detective Rizzoli. How is the first day in homicide?"

Jane rolled her eyes, but she could see the joy in them. "First case."

"I gathered." Maura stepped around the body. The woman – late fifties – had a large cut across her abdomen, exposing her innards. "Quite an interesting case, on first appearances."

"Very," Jane said, holding up an evidence bag. "We found these littered all over the front lawn."

Maura reached out and took the plastic bag, carefully analysing several gold coins. She squinted, then handed them back. "I'll need to look at them through a microscope, but these aren't familiar."

"Somebody found treasure."

"We don't know that it's treasure," Korsak said.

"Yeah but how many people have unknown gold coins hanging around in their yard?" Jane asked.

"We'll only know for sure once the tests have been completed," he said.

Jane shrugged and looked at the bag again, the biggest grin spread across her face. "Tests smests."

"I can see you're going to be challenging to work with, Detective Rizzoli," Maura said.

Jane narrowed her eyes. "Say what now?"

"We don't make guesses in homicide, Detective."

"Oh we don't, do we?" Jane asked, mocking her tone of voice.

"Respect the doc," Korsak said.

Jane folded her arms across her chest, and stayed silent.

Maura raised an eyebrow and leaned in close. "I think I'm going to like having you in homicide."

"Not as much as I'm gonna love having you calling me Detective Rizzoli when we get home tonight."

She smirked. "Very well, Detective Rizzoli."

x

"To Jane's first day," Martinez said, holding up his bottle of beer. Maura leaned forward, clinking her wine glass against his bottle as Jane did the same. "I hear you did superb. Made excellent impression."

"Korsak's been talking about me already?" Jane asked.

"No," he said. "You are excellent, so you will have made excellent impression."

Maura slid her hand across Jane's knee under the table and grasped at her fingers. She turned to face her, her lips curved in the widest of smiles. "I'm so proud of you."

"Aww, shucks," Jane said, covering her cheeks as they reddened. She busied herself with the remaining fries left on her near-empty plate.

Leaning against her, Maura pressed her lips to Jane's earlobe. She kept her mouth close. "Let's wrap this up; I've been thinking about you all day."

Jane growled softly, staring down Maura's body as goose pimples spread across her arm. She faced Martinez. "Rafael, we've gotta talk to you."

"Now is the time?"

"Yes, now." Maura trailed her fingers over Jane's thigh, her fingertips dug into the fabric of her slacks, sliding up the inside of her leg. She was hungry; far hungrier than she was before they sat down to eat. Jane squealed. "Quickly, we have to go home soon."

"Isn't Nonna babysitting?"

"She is," Maura said, placing her napkin on her plate.

He narrowed his eyes and nodded his head. "I see."

"It's really important," Jane said. She pressed her lips together and clutched the edge of the table to steady her hands. "It's just…sensitive."

"Sensitive, how?"

"Medically sensitive." Maura bit down on her bottom lip so hard that tasted blood. She moved her hand back up to Jane's knee, forcing herself to gain control of her emotions. She distanced herself slightly. "Jane and I have a proposal."

"You're getting married?"

Jane scoffed and slapped him playfully on the arm. "Good one."

"Is it not funny?"

"We're not getting married," Maura said. Under the table, Jane grappled with her lap, searching for her hand. Her fingers brushed against the fabric of Maura's dress, flooding her with adrenaline. Jane gripped Maura's fingers and pulled them back down over her thigh. Maura glanced at her, her eyebrows tugged together.

He frowned. "I don't understand what proposal."

Maura sat back, lifting her hand, tugging Jane's onto the table top. She clutched it between both of them and smiled from Jane to Martinez. "You have every right to say no."

"And if you say yes if you decide you no longer wish to," Jane said. "Then you have a right to back out."

"We can draw up a contract to make it official."

"If you want it to be official." Jane shrugged, covering their hands with her other one. "Or it can be informal."

"We should probably have a contract, though," Maura said, turning to Jane.

Jane shrugged. "Yeah, but if he doesn't want that then what's the point?"

"What if he changes his mind?" Maura let go of her hand and picked up her wine glass.

"Oh. Yeah." Jane nodded and turned back to Martinez. "What Maura said."

"I'm not following." He swallowed a mouthful of beer, and leaned across the table, his voice lowered. "Do you wanna hook up together all three of us?"

" _No!_ " Jane shouted, smacking him harder across the arm.

"Hey!" he said, pushing her hands away. He gripped his upper arm and glared at her. "You nearly got ketchup on my shirt."

Jane moved the ketchup to the end of the table. "Don't be a creep."

"If you would just tell me I wouldn't have to guess your proposal quest…"

"We want your sperm," Jane said, her finger outstretched.

His eyes creased at the sides, his eyebrows tugged together. Eventually, Martinez opened his eyes wide and stared from Jane to Maura and back again. "You want my sperm?"

Jane smiled, her eyebrows downturned as the very thought of their request filled her with happiness. " _We want a baby._ "

"We want a child and we want you to be the biological father," Maura said, reaching out to his hand. She clutched it over the table. "We want Lottie to have a biological sibling."

"I went and fucked up the whole idea," Jane said. "We wanted the kid to be a full sibling but then I made homicide. We'd really want the kid to still be Lottie's sibling."

"It would mean I would carry the child." Maura lifted her wine to her mouth. "You would provide the sperm donation, and we would make a child."

"When she says we, she means Maura and me."

Maura swallowed the wine, emptying her glass. "You would provide us with the sample. Jane will prepare the insemination syringe. She would bring me to a point where I'm a step away from orgasm. Then she will insert the insemination syringe into my vagina… "

Jane cut her off, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. "He doesn't need to know the details, Maura."

"Why not?" Maura laid her hands out in front of her, her eyebrows creased. "If he's going to be part of this he should know all of the facts."

"The _facts_. Not the full story. Why are you talking about your vajayjay in front of him?"

"You're acting like he has no idea what a vagina is." Maura stared at her, confused. "He's seen yours."

Jane covered her eyes. "Don't remind me."

"Excuse me?" Martinez waved his hand in front of them, but they continued.

"Are you not reminded every single day?" Maura asked.

Jane scrunched up her face in confusion. "Why would I be reminded of that every single day?"

" _Lottie._ "

Jane scoffed. "Lottie doesn't make me think about Rafael seeing my vajayjay contract in all those unnatural ways during childbirth."

"Natural."

"What?"

"The contractions are natural," Maura said. "Did you pay any attention during sexual education?

"You mean after the nuns brought out the condom and told us we'd burn in hell if we dared use one?" Jane rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean!"

"Excuse me!" Martinez said, clapping his hands together.

Maura leaned forward and glared at Jane. "I'm sure he saw it many times after Lottie's birth."

"Yeah…but the less we discuss that the better," Jane said, shaking her head and covering her eyes.

Martinez smirked. "The last time I saw it we were in the forest, we had sex on the floor and Jane got poison ivy."

" _Raffie!_ " Jane shouted.

"What?" He lifted his shoulders and held his hands out at his sides. "You were not listening to me."

"That doesn't mean you need to tell the world about our sex life."

"I did not tell the world, I told Maura. Like you haven't had sex with her in the forest."

"Actually, no." Maura glanced at Jane, her lips pressed together. She tried to stop her lips from curving at the edges but she couldn't help it. "Not through want of trying."

" _Maura!_ " Jane shouted.

"What?"

She let out a long, loud groan and shook her head repeatedly. "Why is this share Jane's sex life night?"

"If we're going to ask him for his sperm," Maura said. "I think we've moved a step past being prudish about our sexual relationship."

She continued to groan and leant her head on the table. "I have nothing more to say."

"Good." Martinez sat forward, his eyebrows tugged together. "Now do you wish to hear answer?"

* * *

 **Author Note : Yes. Yes they did...**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author Note** **: Erm, I'm not even sure what this fic is doing, but it's got a life of its own...I think the heat of the unusually warm spring in the UK is affecting me. We don't even get a month of hot weather in summer, usually, let alone May. *fans self* Enjoy.**

* * *

A loud smash across the room caused all three of them to lift their heads, followed by a clattering of metal. A pile of glass obscured the wooden floor. Maura's eyes landed on the woman at the centre of the commotion and her heart leapt into her throat.

"No I will not leave!" The room was deathly silent. The bartender rested his hand on her arm. She flailed her hands out, sending on flying into his stomach. He doubled over, clutching his front. "Get your hands off me!"

Nobody moved a muscle. Jane stared across at the other patrons. As a cop, she was always the first to respond to situations in public. All too often she'd stood in a room full of strangers and nobody got up to help. She hesitated. The woman's eyes danced wildly around the room, landing on Maura's.

"Move, Jane," Maura said, pushing her out of the booth. She followed her instruction and stepped out, conscious of all eyes on them. She waited by the table. Maura rushed across the room, her heels crushed through the edge of the pile of broken glass and reached out to the woman. "Stop this."

"Maura!" She cupping her cheeks and kissed them one after the other. "They said you were here."

"Who?" Maura gripped hold of her wrists and tugged her hands away.

"The nice man with the hair and glasses."

"I don't know who you mean, Hope."

Martinez elbowed her accidentally as he barged past, joining Maura across the room. "This isn't helping your case."

"What would you know?"

"I know you have a court appearance next week and if you show up high the judge won't be lenient."

"Judge smudge." Hope waved her hand in front of her face. She gripped Maura's arm. "I'm here for my girl. I'll buy you dinner, Maura."

Maura sighed. "I've eaten. You can't waltz in here, assault the bartender, then take me to dinner."

"Why not?"

"We're leaving." Maura looped her arm and lead her towards the door.

Jane's eyes darted back and forth, the situation playing out in front of her barely registered. She scrunched up her face, her eyebrows tugged together. Martinez picked up his jacket and Maura's purse from the table and headed toward the door.

Jane didn't move.

"You coming?" he asked.

"How about you tell me what's happening first?" Jane reached into her pocket and took out a couple of notes. She dropped them on the bar and forged a smile. "Sorry. Keep the change."

Out on the street, Jane jogged to catch up with Maura and Martinez. The woman's arm was still looped around Maura. She held back, watching from behind as Maura spoke softly. "You were out of line."

"I was looking for you. They tried to throw me out."

"What's happening?" Jane asked.

"That doesn't mean you can assault somebody." Maura's pace quickened, her focus fixed. "If he reports you…"

"He won't."

"You don't know that," Martinez said.

"Is somebody going to tell me what the fuck is going on?" Jane shouted. Everyone stopped. Maura and Martinez turned around, their eyes fixed on Jane's for the briefest of moments. Martinez glanced at Maura. He raised his eyebrows and Maura forged a smile. Jane groaned. "Or am I gonna have to guess who this psycho is?"

"That's Doctor Psycho," Hope said, standing up tall. She had an air of elegance about her. Her open toed shoes were smart; she dressed in a suit similar to one Maura owned. Jane frowned. "Doctor Hope Psycho."

Maura stared at the sidewalk. The air around Jane had become stifling, despite the cool breeze. She glanced down at Maura, but she didn't dare lift her gaze. She shifted her feet.

Jane inched forward. She reached for her hand, their bodies so close she could feel her body heat. "Maura?"

She shrugged. "I have to go."

"Not until you explain."

She shook her head and gripped Hope's arm again, dragging her along the street. "I have to go."

Martinez strode along behind them. "Do you want my help?"

"No." Maura continued onward. "Take Jane home."

"But," Jane began, her voice drifted off as Maura got too far ahead. She turned to Martinez. She stepped closer, clenching her fist at her side. "What the fuck just happened?"

He shrugged. "No idea."

"You do, don't you fucking lie to me, Raffie."

He turned away, and sighed. "It's not for me to say."

"Like hell it isn't!"

"Let's go," he said, resting his hand on the small of her back. It took every ounce of energy not to smack him across the shoulder and march off in the other direction. She set off back toward the car.

x

The living room clock chimed twelve times. Despite the house being empty, Maura tiptoed across the entrance hall in the dark. She placed them neatly on the shoe rack and headed up the stairs. The house was silent. She'd purposefully chosen to go home, if only to avoid the inevitable conversation she knew would follow if she turned up at Jane's.

Pushing open her bedroom door, she fumbled along the wall for the light switch. She turned towards the bed and jumped back, resting her hand across her racing heart.

"I thought you'd come here." Jane sat in the bed. Her Chucks abandoned on the floor, beside her clothes. She sat in a t-shirt and shorts that lived in the top drawer of Maura's second dresser. It had been weeks since Jane had stayed over. "You're avoiding me."

Closing her eyes, Maura lowered her head. She breathed slowly, recapturing her breath as her heart rate slowed. "No."

"Don't lie to me," Jane said, her voice cold and emotionless. Maura ran her fingers across her neck. "You think I don't know you're coming out in hives?"

She chewed on the inside of her lip. The evening had been going so well. She didn't quite know what to say, or how to say it. She trailed her fingernails across her skin. "I'm sorry."

"Who is she?"

Maura lifted her head, meeting Jane's gaze. She stepped across the room and perched on the bed beside her. Despite her desire to look anywhere but at Jane, she caught her eyes. "Hope is my mother."

The crease formed quickly between Jane's eyebrows. " _Constance_ is your mother."

"My birth mother."

"You're adopted?"

Maura sighed and leaned forward. "You know I'm adopted. I told you."

Jane shook her head. "I guess I forgot. You don't talk about her. You've never talked about her."

"I haven't seen her in a decade."

" _At all?_ "

She closed her eyes and breathed slowly, methodically, until her heart rate slowed back down. "Last night."

"Last…" Jane paused, her voice drifted off. She pursed her lips. "You were at work."

"I was called into BPD." Maura reached out to Jane's hand, but she snatched it back. "She was brought in with a drug bust. Martinez followed her instruction to call me."

"Rafael knew?" She knelt up on the bed, her hands outstretched at her sides. "And neither of you thought to tell me?"

"It's not like that."

"No?" Jane scoffed. "What is it like, Maura? My ex-boyfriend and my girlfriend keeping secrets."

"He was following my orders."

"More the question, why are _you_ keeping secrets?" Jane stood up on the bed and jumped off the end. She marched across the room, pacing back and forth across the carpet. "Why are you lying to me in the middle of the night when she's just your mother?"

"Do you really think I wanted you to find out this way? For you to meet her like that?"

"I don't know, Maura, since you won't fucking tell me anything!"

"She's a _drug addict._ She continues to throw her astounding potential away because she thinks heroin, or cocaine, or whichever drug she's on this month is going to make her feel better about giving me away. Is that what you want to know?" Maura's chest heaved; the weight on her chest restricted every breath. "I'm sorry for not telling you about her, but she's not exactly someone I'm proud of, and I don't really wish for her to come back into my life when we're about to start ours."

Jane dropped down onto the bed, slouching. She opened her mouth, but her voice was so small, Maura barely heard her. "I just wish you'd told me."

"I'm sorry." Maura sat down beside her. "I was going to. I wanted to wait until you'd finished your first day, and we'd asked Rafael about having a baby."

Leaning forward, Jane rested her elbow on her knee and leant against her hand. "I forgot to ask him what his answer was."

"I didn't mean to hurt you," Maura said, sliding her knee up on the bedsheets, her body twisted toward Jane. She reached out, her fingertips trailed across Jane's leg. "I love you, Jane. We've got this amazing journey ahead of us and I don't want that woman to ruin it."

"She won't."

"She already is."

" _No._ " Jane shrugged and grasped her hand. "She can't ruin something that hasn't started yet."

"You still want to, though?" Maura asked, twirling her fingers around Jane's. "Please tell me you haven't changed your mind."

Jane's lips curved on one side. She rolled her eyes. She leaned in close, sandwiching Maura's fingers between her hands. "Course I want to. All I've wanted the past few months is to start a family with you."

"Do you forgive me?"

"I just wish you wouldn't keep things from me," Jane said. "I know you've been used to being alone but you're not alone anymore, Maura. Whatever's going on with that woman, you can talk to me about it."

"Even if she's the prime suspect in a murder case?"

Her mouth dropped open. "She's the prime suspect in a murder case?"

"That's why she was arrested. The dealer was found dead."

"Jeez, Maura!" Jane stood up and paced in front of her. "Why didn't you tell me? I could have helped."

"How?" Reaching out her arms, Maura pulled Jane to her, enveloping her between her arms. She wrapped her hands around her thighs. Jane leaned down, cupping her cheeks. "It was your first day in homicide. I couldn't put that on you. Today was about you, not my biological mother."

"I don't care about me. I care about you."

"And _I_ care about _you_." Maura smirked. "You're very attractive when you're angry."

"I am?" Jane knelt down on the bed, straddling Maura.

"You are," she said, placing her hands across Jane's butt.

"I suppose we did get distracted earlier." She interlinked her fingers with Maura's and lifted their hands above their heads. Lowering them down between them, Jane slid Maura's hand down across her thigh. "I think your hand was somewhere about here."

Maura shook her head and pushed her fingers further along her skin. "I think it was more like here."

Leaning forward, Jane opened her mouth and rested it against Maura's as she spoke. "Definitely there."

She trailed her fingers under the rim of Jane's shorts. Her heart boomed. Tiny bumps formed under her touch. "Moving upward."

"All the way up."

Her breath caught in her throat as she captured Jane's lips. Barely pulling away, she whispered, "How did you encourage Angela to take Lottie overnight?"

Jane grunted, leaning forward, forcing Maura back. "You can thank Raffie for that."

"Thank you Mr Sperm," she said, gripping Jane's hair, holding her close as she trailed her tongue across Jane's lip.

Jane sat up, staring down at Maura. "He hasn't said yes yet."

"He will."

"How do you know?"

"He loves us. Why would he say no?"

"God I hope you're right." Jane slid her knees across the bed. She leaned forward, her breath hitched. Maura tugged at Jane's shorts, pulling them down. She trailed her hands back up over Jane's thighs. "God. Keep doing that."

"No." Maura rolled her onto her back and sat up.

" _Maura!_ "

She climbed off the bed and unzipped her dress, letting it fall to the floor. "I need to shower."

"No fair." Jane pouted.

Maura twisted round, smirking. "I wasn't planning on showering alone."

"Even better." Jane rolled over so fast, her shorts restricted movement causing her to tumble off the edge of the bed. She sprang to her feet, placing her hands on Maura's hips as they stepped towards the bathroom. "Hey, what happened with your mother anyway?"

"I took her home," Maura said, sliding her panties down her legs and kicking them onto the floor.

A low guttural sound escaped Jane's lips. She slid her hands up to the back of her bra. "Bet she didn't like that."

"She passed out." Maura turned, her eyes fixed on Jane's. Reaching behind her back, she unclasped her bra and let it drop to the floor. "If you don't mind, I'd rather not think about her anymore tonight."

Jane's cell phone buzzed on the table. She let out a long, low, groan. "Fucking people!"

"Ignore it."

"But it might be important."

"It can wait until tomorrow."

The phone stopped. A moment later, it buzzed again, briefly.

"Let me check the message."

"Fine." Maura folded her arms, her whole body tingled with anticipation. She stared at Jane's bare butt as she reached over the bed and retrieved her cell.

"Oh!" Jane covered her hand with her mouth. "Fuck!"

"What?" Maura asked, sliding her hands over Jane's hip. "What does it say?"

Smirking, Jane turned her cell phone around so that Maura could see the screen. Maura slid her hands across her skin, a thin layer of sweat coated her body. Jane moaned. "Read it quickly cause I am so fucking hot I don't think I can last any longer."

Martinez: 'If you still want to know, my answer is yes.'


	4. Chapter 4

**Author Note : I started this one off with such good intention but it's become such a challenge to just get this chapter written. I don't know how quickly it'll be before another update. I wish it was flowing as well as Bartender (which was super easy).**

* * *

"I got here as soon as I could," Maura said, clutching her purse as she slipped into the row and sat down beside Martinez. "What's happening?"

"They charged her this morning." He leant to one side, his voice barely a whisper. "I didn't expect this, I would have warned you. The DA is hot on drugs. We wanted more time to build a case against the supplier before chargers were made."

Maura gave his arm a squeeze. "Thanks for calling me."

The clerk stared down at her from their position across the room. Hope sat still, her shoulders back, as the clerk spoke. "Doctor Hope Martin, you are charged with possession with intent to distribute. The report states that you were found in possession of a high quantity of illegal substances, namely heroin and cocaine. A plea of not guilty will be entered on your behalf."

Resting her hand on her chest, Maura breathed deeply. "I thought they were going to charge her with murder."

"Sorry." Martinez clutched her hand. "I should clarying. It's drug possession. We told the DA we wanted Hope to support our case against the supplier. He was supposed to wait."

"What happens next?"

"Has the defendant got a criminal record?" The clerk glanced down at their paperwork, their eyebrows tugged together.

A man sat nearby stood up. "No record. Doctor Martin is a doctor at a clinic for the disadvantaged. She is an upstanding member of the community."

The clerk smirked and banged their gavel down on the desk. "Clearly not. Bail is set at two thousand five hundred. Do you need an attorney?"

She barely moved as she spoke, so quiet Maura could barely hear her. "No. Thank you."

"Dismissed."

x

Jane paced back and forth outside of Martinez's office, her heart racing so fast she could barely breathe. She folded her arms and leant against the door frame, anything to distract her from her fractured thoughts.

"Rafael!" she shouted, rushing down the corridor towards him. "Where were you? I need to talk to you."

"What's wrong?" he narrowed his eyes. "Lottie?" 

"No." She ran a hand through her hair. "I've lost some evidence from a crime scene. I can't find it anywhere. Korsak's gonna kill me."

"It's okay." He rested his hands on her shoulders, his tone soft and friendly. "It will be okay. You're a good cop. This isn't against you. Did somebody else take it to the evidence locker?"

"I don't," she shook her head, her chest rose and fall quickly. "Korsak's on my ass about doing everything right, if I don't find it soon I'm gonna have to tell him the truth."

"Where does he think you are?"

"Ladies room."

"Come," he said, placing his hand on the small of her back and guiding her back down the corridor. "We will check with Fred in the locker."

x

"I love you!" Jane squealed wrapping her arms tightly around Fred's shoulders and kissing him on the cheek. She stepped back. "Sorry."

"It's alright with me," he said, grinning. "I haven't had a beautiful young thing kiss me like that in over twenty years."

"Watch your tongue, Frederick," Martinez said, winking. "She's my baby mama."

"You're a lucky devil." He patted Jane on the arm. "Don't worry about losing the evidence. Happens to the best of us. You probably left it on your desk. Korsak brought it down this morning."

Martinez nodded his head and opening the door. He waved back to Fred. "See you around."

He raised his eyebrows and blew a kiss. "Until next time, Detective Rizzoli."

The door shut behind them and Jane rolled her eyes. "What a creep."

"You okay now?"

"Yeah." She breathed deeply, methodically. Every breath that little bit easier to come by. "I'll be fine. I thought you were in the office all day, where were you?" 

"In court."

"Already? I thought you didn't have any cases that far along."

"Hope got charged. Maura had to bail her out."

"Excuse me?" Jane turned around, blocking his path with a hand to his chest. "Hold on a second, what happened?"

"Maura bailed Hope out."

"I tried calling her, she didn't answer. She was in court?"

He shrugged. "We both were."

"Right." She gritted her teeth and set off down the corridor. "I've gotta go."

"Where to?" He raced after her. "Are you mad?" 

"Nah." She averted her gaze, not stopping as she went back to the elevator. "I've gotta get back to work. Korsak's gonna flip his lid if I'm not back soon."

x

Jane tossed the pillows back onto the bed and straightened out the bedspread. She gathered up a pile of dirty laundry from the floor and tossed it into the basket by the door. Rummaging through the pile, she identified several missing items and balanced her cell between her ear and her shoulder.

"Hey, Maur, my red shirt, my black BPD t-shirt and my black slacks with the buckle, did you wash them at your place? I can't find them and I need them."

"No."

She rolled her eyes and gritted her teeth. "The last time I saw them they were at yours."

"I've not seen them, Jane."

She tugging down her pants and kicked them off the end of her toes. The hem got stuck on one leg and she tumbled against the wall.

"They're probably in the mess in the corner of your room."

"I tidied up the mess in the corner of my room." She groaned. "Where the fuck are they? I can't go to work tomorrow with my crappy slacks covered in jello stains. They're my best pair."

"If they're your best pair why do you not know where they are?"

"I don't know where the fuck they've gone, that's why I'm asking you, obviously!" She reached down and retrieved her pants, dropping them into the basket.

Maura sighed. "You sound snippy. What's wrong?"

"I'm not snippy. You're snippy."

She pulled her shirt over her head, switching the one from one ear to the other as she placed it on top of the pants. She held the phone as she wandered over to her drawers and took out a pair of shorts and a new t-shirt. She redressed, slipping into the shorts.

"Now you're being petulant. I don't have time for you to be petulant when I'm about to conduct an autopsy. I need to focus on my work. Can't this wait until I finish for the day?"

"No, it can't, they won't dry by tomorrow if I don't put them in the wash now."

"I can't magic them out of thin air." Maura went quiet. Jane was about to respond, when she continued. "I've got yoga after work and then I said I'd go for a drink with a friend. I suppose you can come to mine and use the dryer, if you must."

"If I must…don't be like that. What's with your fucking tone today?" She rested the phone back against her shoulder and lifted up the basket. She carried it into Lottie's room and emptied Lottie's basket into her own.

"My tone? You're the one who keeps swearing at me. You sound angry. Why are you angry?"

"It's not anger it's fucking annoyance at you getting annoyed."

In the utility, she separated whites and colours, and loaded the washer, leaving the basket beside it ready to refill it again later.

"This conversation isn't going anywhere. I'll be home by seven for forty-five minutes. If you wish to use my dryer, don't be late."

She turned the dial on the machine and filled it with powder.

"Fine," Jane shouted, hanging up. She let out a long, low growl and tossed her phone onto the basket of laundry.

x

"Are you feeling better?" Maura asked, as she opened the front door.

Jane dropped the black bag onto the floor beside the door and walked inside. She narrowed her eyes. "I was never angry."

Maura sighed. "You don't sound any less calm."

"Wouldn't you be if you'd lost your best pants?"

"No." Maura picked up the black bag and carried it through the house. Jane fell into step behind her. "I wouldn't lose my best pants in the first place. How you can live like that is beyond me."

" _Nice_!" Jane said, rolling her eyes. She snatched the bag out of Maura's hands and carried it through to the laundry. She pulled open the front of the dryer and stuffed her clothes into the machine. Maura stood in the doorway, her eyes fixed on Jane as she slammed the door shut.

"Are you going to tell me why you're so angry or do I have to guess?"

"I'm not fucking angry, Maura." Jane twisted around. She threw the dryer sheet box onto the counter. "The more you say that the angrier I become, you're not helping."

She clenched her fist, her jaw tightened. She turned around, banging her fist against the machine. "Just a fucking bad day, alright?"

Maura stepped forward, her lips so close to Jane's she could feel her breath tickling her skin. She wrapped her arms around her waist. "Please don't take your bad day out on me. I love you. I wish you'd just talk to me."

She turned away, tears pricked at her eyes. She swiped a hand across her cheek and let out a frustrated sigh. "Why didn't you tell me Hope was in court?"

"Oh." Maura grasped at her hand, interlinking their fingers between them, forcing Jane to stand directly opposite her. "I'm sorry. Today was a whirlwind. I didn't expect to have to go to the courthouse."

"You paid her bail." Jane gritted her teeth. "Does she deserve your help?"

Maura shrugged. "I don't know what she deserves. All I know is I can't let someone who has built a career on helping people to lose everything because of one small mistake."

"I thought she was a drug addict."

"She is." Maura shook her head. "She's a high functioning addict. She goes to work every day, she helps people, then she goes home and drowns her sorrows in heroin. At least that's what she used to do."

"I'm sorry for being a moody bitch," Jane said, clinging to Maura. She rested her head on her shoulder. "I nearly messed up some evidence. If it wasn't for Raffie I wouldn't have found it. I was so scared."

Maura stepped back, holding her at arm's length. She smiled, her lips curved until her eyes creased. "You're doing an amazing job, Jane. You're a fantastic detective, you always have been. It's understandable your first week you'd be a bag of nerves."

"I hate it." She burrowed her face against Maura's neck. "In Vice I knew what I was doing. It's not that much different, just the cases, but I keep getting flustered."

"You'll be fine," Maura said, cupping her cheeks. "It's just going to take some time."

She leant in, brushing her lips against Maura's. "Do you have to go out tonight?"

"You can come if you'd like."

"Who's the friend?"

"Maria, who I went to school with."

Scrunching up her nose, Jane shrugged. "I'd rather watch my clothes hang dry than listen to her talk about her dogs for three hours."

Maura smirked. "She's not that bad."

"No?" Jane racked her brain. "I'd rather stick pins in my toes and walks on them."

"Jane!"

"Don't act like you enjoyed the last time we went out with her."

Maura tilted her head and lifted her shoulders. "I suppose I'm used to blocking out the mundane and focusing on the amazing work she's doing with the children's hospital."

Jane stroked her hand down the side of Maura's cheek and kissed her. "Enjoy your night. I'll let myself out when I leave."

x

The page in front of Maura was blank. Every time she started to write, the words felt stilted, until she deleted them again, leaving behind the empty white space that sucked up all hope of motivation. She closed the lid of her laptop and sat back on the couch.

"I thought you were supposed to be writing," Jane said, handing her a mug of coffee and sitting beside her.

"I am." She wrapped her hands around the mug and breathed in the bitter scent of coffee. She sighed. "I can't get past the dreaded blank page."

Jane took the laptop off Maura's lap and opened it, waited for it to load back up, and started typing. Maura leaned over, but Jane elbowed her back.

"Writing nonsense won't make it easier." Maura sipped her coffee.

Jane pushed the laptop back over to her lap. "There."

Maura pursed her lips and read aloud. "I am so proud of everything you've done in the last year. I know your first novel didn't work out, but you have the talent to write something spectacular."

She slouched in her seat, tears built up in her eyes until Maura could barely see. She leaned against Jane's shoulder, swiping at her cheek. "Thank you for believing in me."

"Maybe one day you'll write about a dashing detective who fights crimes with her hot, sexy doctor girlfriend." She snaked an arm around Maura's shoulder and held her close. "Detective Roscoe and Doctor Lander."

Maura sniggered. "It's only funny because I know you're serious."

Jane shrugged. "They say write what you know. You know forensic pathology, you know homicide; you know the police department."

"It doesn't mean people want to read about it."

"Why wouldn't they?" Jane kicked off her sneakers and rested her feet on the coffee table. She rested her coffee mug against her lip and sipped. "I hear Detective Roscoe is Irish."

"The name Roscoe is from Lancashire."

"Where?"

"It's a county in England."

"Then Roscoe is English, or her family were. She has two sisters, an annoying mother, and a deadbeat dad."

"What about Lander?" Maura rested her coffee mug on the arm of the couch, her eyes fixed on Jane's. "You said that she's hot and sexy."

"So hot!" Jane whistled. "I could fuck her all day long."

" _Jane_!"

"It's true." She shrugged, a glint in her eye. She smirked. "Why don't you try your hand at romance?"

"Fifty Shades of Grey style romance?"

"Why not?"

"I couldn't!"

"I'd read it." She put her mug on the coffee table and leaned over Maura, her mouth trailed across Maura's bottom lip. "Erotic fiction, from the fingers that made me convert to lesbianism."

Maura tilted her head. She raised her eyebrows. "I'm not sure that's entirely accurate. One cannot convert to lesbianism, and I didn't make you gay."

"Really?" Jane reached for Maura's coffee mug and placed it on the table. She climbed over her, resting one knee on each side of her thighs. She leaned over her. "Because the last time I went to church I cried out to Doctor Maura Isles and she gave me an experience that one can only consider to be beyond humanity."

Licking her lip, Maura slid her fingers across Jane's back, pulling her towards her. She captured her lips, suckling her skin. "I'm not writing erotica."

"Not even for me?"

" _Just_ for you?"

Jane rested her hands on Maura's thighs, sliding her fingers under the edge of her dress, until her hands reached Maura's panties. She leant forward, expertly removing her shirt with one hand, while her other continued on its path. "You can read to me in the shower."

"Rafael is on his way over. Why the shower?"

"We've got time." She unhooked her bra, tossing it onto the floor behind the couch. She captured Maura's lip, her other hand tugging down Maura's panties. She pressed kisses along her chin, nibbling softly on her earlobe. Her breath hitched. Her voice came out tiny as she whispered in Maura's ear. "That's where I get myself off thinking about you."

The front door slammed shut. Maura went to stand, sending Jane tumbling off onto the couch beside her as she scurried around for her shirt. Maura returned her panties to their rightful place and stood, her eyes bugged. Martinez leant against the doorway, looking everywhere but at the two of them.

"I should knock," he said, scratching the back of his head.

Jane straightened her shirt and resurfaced from behind the couch. "It's fine."

Maura motioned towards the dining table. She glanced at the clock on the microwave. "Would you care for a coffee? My lawyer will be here in ten minutes, then we can sign the contracts."


	5. Chapter 5

**Author Note : Thank you all for your continued support. I am writing as much as I can, as fast as I can. Unfortunately I go to Croatia on Wednesday for a week, I really hope I can keep my motivation going. It's always more challenging on holiday. Fingers crossed I can get through. I hope you enjoy this one.**

* * *

"I've got it," Jane said, carrying the small cup into the bedroom. She placed it on the bedside table and scooped Maura up into her arms, twirling her around until they landed on the bed. She leant down, her lips brushed across Maura's mouth. "Let's make a baby."

Maura chewed on her bottom lip. "You're happy."

"Why wouldn't I be?" Jane slid her fingers along Maura's arms and down across her hips.

"Slow down." Maura scurried up the bed, tugging Jane towards her. "Let's sit for a moment. This is all happening very fast."

"That's because your body decided to ovulate straight after we signed the contract."

"It really was a coincidence."

They sat beside each other, their heads against the headboard. Jane absentmindedly trailed her fingers up and down Maura's inner thigh. She felt nervous. It made no sense. Aside from inserting the donation, Jane wasn't the one whose body was going to change. Even if she was, she'd done it once before. She knew what to expect.

"I have a sister."

Jane's hand stopped midway along Maura's leg. She turned, her eyebrows tugged together. "You do?"

"Hope's daughter. Cailin." She gripped Jane's hand, lifting it onto her lap. "I met her ten years ago when I found my birth mother."

Leaning her head against Maura's shoulder, Jane sighed. "When was the last time you saw her?"

"Ten years ago."

"The same with Hope?"

Maura shrugged. She leant against Jane's head. She stared at the cup of sperm on the table. Her life had changed immeasurably from a decade ago. She laid her arm across Jane's back and held her close. "I wanted to be in their lives. When I first met Hope it was so wonderful. She's a doctor. She understands my world."

"Is that when you found out she was addicted to heroin?"

"Yeah." She closed her eyes. Pursing her lips, Maura cleared her throat. "Cailin would be maybe fifteen by now. The last time I saw her she was such a small child, she had this look of hope in her eyes. I just hope…God, I hope that she's okay."

"Has Hope mentioned her since she's been back?" 

"No." Maura sat up. She reached across to the table and retrieved the donation. "Her dad was around then, if he still is, maybe he'll be looking out for her."

"If she's anything like her big sister, she'll be okay." Jane took the cup and leant over Maura, capturing her lips. She trailed her mouth across Maura's neck and down over her shoulder, pressing gentle kisses across her skin, tugging away fabric. She put the cup on the table on the other side of the bed. "Let's get you ready to make a baby."

Maura cupped her cheeks, stopping her lips from touching her again. "I don't know my full medical history. I know I have a mother with a drug addiction, but that's all I know."

Jane shrugged. "You think I knew what my medical history was when I had Lottie?"

"I worry."

"You don't need to." She slid off the side of the bed, tugging Maura's legs around. She knelt on either side of her thighs and pulled down her pants. "What matters is you're healthy, Rafael is healthy, and Lottie's gonna make a great big sister."

x

Maura lay on her back, her toes pressed against the wall behind the bed. She closed her eyes, her hand rested on her stomach. Every breath came out slow, methodical. She listened to the soft sounds of the relaxing music that Jane had put on before she left, until her heart rate slowed to a steadier speed and she felt her whole body sink into the sheets.

"I can't remember what you said," Jane said, entering the bedroom with a tray. "I have herbal tea, that funky fruit tea, a bottle of water, and a glass of wine."

"Wine?" Maura attempted to sit up, but Jane pushed her back down. "I can't drink alcohol."

"It's not for you." Jane perched on the bed beside her. She wrapped a hand around Maura's thigh and smiled. "Even if this doesn't work, I'll never get the image of your orgasm in that position out of my head."

Maura raised her eyebrows. She held her hand out. "If it doesn't work, I'd be happy to try again…and again. Pass me the water?"

She screwed the lid off the bottle and handed it over. Jane sipped her wine and put it on the bedside table. She shifted position, lying down beside Maura, her feet on the wall. "Tell me something I don't know about you."

"Why?"

"Why not?" Jane tilted her head to the side. She clutched Maura's hand between them "We're trying to have a baby and there's still so much we don't know."

"I had a three point nine GPA in high school."

Jane sat up, her eyes bugged. "You did? How did you get into that fancy school?"

She nodded. "My father was golf buddies with the dean of admissions."

"Oh."

"And I scored in the ninety ninth percentile in my SATs."

"Holy shit!" Jane sat up, swivelling round. She crossed her legs. "You're serious?"

"I spent six months in Tanzania with my father in sophomore year. It dragged down my GPA. I was top of my class in all of my subjects by senior year."

"I always knew you were a genius."

Maura pursed her lips. "You mean I've told you I'm a genius on several occasions?"

"That too." She glanced at her cell phone. "Fuck, Maura. I was like seventy fifth. I finished tenth in my class. Time's up."

"Lay back down," Maura said, holding out her hand. Jane uncrossed her legs and lay on her side. "When do we have to pick up Lottie?"

"I asked Rafael to look after her until tomorrow." Jane lifted one leg over Maura and knelt on both sides. She leant down, her body pressed against Maura's. She captured her lips, moving her mouth slowly, her tongue danced across Maura's. "I was hoping we could do some extra work to make that baby stay in real well."

"We shouldn't." Maura sat up. She moved her fingers around the waistband of Jane's pants and under her shirt, lifting it from her shoulders. She leant in, kissing her roughly. "I shouldn't, but since we've already done me, you can."

She nibbled her bottom lip and let out a long, low growl. "No need to ask twice."

x

The heels of Maura's shoes clacked against the tiled floor as she walked across the diner. On a table at the far side of the room, her mother sat drinking coffee and reading a newspaper. She hesitated. Although she'd seen her a couple of times, neither incident was forced, neither situation was one she'd asked for.

She stepped up beside the table and stared down at Hope. "Good evening."

"Maura!" She stood up, wrapping her arms tightly around Maura's shoulders and giving her a squeeze. "Thank you for coming. Would you like some dinner? I hear they make a fantastic burger."

Maura narrowed her eyes. She pressed her lips tightly together. "I need to go home soon. I'll have a drink."

Hope waved her hand and a waitress came off with a pot of coffee. She placed two mugs on the table and begun pouring the coffee into them.

"I'll have a tea," Maura said, covering the mug before she could fill it. "Herbal."

She returned to the table a minute later with a cup of tea, a jug of milk and a pot of sugars. Hope handed her a ten dollar bill, refusing the change, before the woman walked away again. Maura sat back, her hands wrapped around the tea.

"I'm sorry." Hope leant forward, her hand landed on Maura's wrist. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen. Least of all for you to get involved."

"What other choice did I have?" Maura reclaimed her wrist, tucking it under the table. She pursed her lips. "Biology only accounts for a small part of our lives."

"I should have done more."

"Yes. You should."

"It's been hard."

Maura leant back, sipping her tea slowly. The hot liquid burned her lips. She blew on it, resting it back on the table as it began to cool down. "How is Cailin?"

"I've not seen her for six months." Hope poured milk into her coffee and sprinkled in two sachets of sugar. She stirred, the spoon clattered against the inside of the mug. She lifted the mug to her lips. "She's with her father in London, we separated some time ago."

"Is she well?" 

"The last time I spoke to her." She swallowed a mouthful of coffee. "Are you?"

"I wondered if you were ever going to ask."

"You're my daughter; of course I want to know. I've been following your work. The paper you wrote six years ago on the impact of crush injuries on autopsy accuracy was fascinating. You haven't published anything for years. What's happened?" She gripped the edge of Maura's jacket. "Are you married? Do you have any children? Is that why you haven't been doing research?"

Maura breathed in slowly, her chest heaved as she let out her breath. She cupped her mug tightly in her hands, ignoring the sensation of heat against her fingers. "I'm not married, nor do I have any children, yet. I've been working on fictional writing. My main focus of research has been to inform my novel writing."

"What a shame." Maura narrowed her eyes. "Oh, I didn't it like that. I'm sure you're a talented author. But you're also an extremely talented forensic pathologist, and you should not step away from your talents in pursuit of something so…unreliable."

Maura scoffed, pushing her tea to one side. She leant forward, her eyes fixed on Hope's. "I think we're many years beyond the motherly lectures, don't you?"

"I'm trying to get to know you again."

"Where were you eight years ago when I got appendicitis? Or five years ago when my father had a heart attack? Where were you two years ago when I nearly gave up my career because something didn't feel right anymore?"

"I'm sorry." Hope emptied the last of her coffee and waved for the waitress to bring her a refill. "You've done far better without me around. Are you in a relationship?"

She pressed her lips together. They'd never discussed relationships, excepting briefly when they first connected. She averted her gaze. Back then she'd been in a brief relationship with a man she cared deeply for. Now everything had changed, and she didn't really know how to explain.

"Yes."

"But no children?"

"My partner has a daughter."

"Oh. I see."

"You see?" Maura gritted her teeth. "What do you see?"

"Is it the man from the police station?"

Maura laughed, her diaphragm contracted until her whole body wobbled. She shook her head. "I'm not in a relationship with Rafael. He's the father of my partner's daughter."

"He's…" Hope's eyebrows tugged together, her eyes narrowed. Maura could see the workings of her mind in her eyes. "Either your partner has been in a homosexual relationship, or…"

" _I am_." Maura sat up tall, her shoulders back. She hadn't intended to come out quite so quickly, or quite in the way she had. Her shoulders relaxed. Something switched inside of her. "Jane and I are trying for a baby. We want to have a family. _I_ want to have a family, for the first time in my life."

Hope leant forward, her shoulders hunched. "I tried, Maura."

"You didn't try hard enough." She pushed her hands under the table, away from Hope's hands as they slid closer. "I came to you, you had a nice house, a husband, a small child. We could have been a family. We could have had everything I've ever wanted."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be." She drank the last of her tea and slid out from the booth. She clutched her purse in her hands in front of her. "Thank you for the tea. I have to get home to my girlfriend."


End file.
